We’ve officially crossed the halfway point in our “Waste Less and Be Green in 2015” challenge.  Welcome to the second half of the year!!  How is the challenge going for you so far?  I’m curious how many weeks you’ve completed and what changes you’ve seen in your life?  I hope it’s been a positive journey for you, stick around because I have lots more tips to share!!

This week we’re going to challenge you to have a Zero Waste 4th of July celebration, and summer picnics.  Here in Colorado we tend to have almost as many 4th of July celebrations in shorts and a T-shirt as we do bundled up in sweats!  However, we love to BBQ no matter the weather!  Having a Zero Waste BBQ is even better!

Zero Waste 4th of July and Summer Picnic Tips

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* Buy meat directly from the butcher.  Many natural grocery stores and butcher shops will place meat into a glass container for you.  (Health codes vary by area so if you can’t use your own
container ask about the most minimal packaging possible)

* Use real dishes.  Stainless steel is light and easy to pack.  Or visit your local outdoors store for light-weight-  sometimes even collapsible dishes!
* Be mindful of “compostable” products.  These are popping up everywhere- compostable cups, plates, cutlery, etc.  The catch is that they’re only compostable in the handful of places that industrial composting exists.  Many of these products are also manufactured in a super un-sustainable way.
* Shop the farmers market.  Get yummy sides from local vendors either packaging free or in your own packaging!
* Compost those corn cobs and watermelon rinds!
* Use old jars for glasses and have a big pitchers of drinks like kombucha, water keifer, flavored water, and homemade lemonade.  
* Decorate with cloth table clothes or reuse decorations every year
* Leave the fireworks to the pros and avoid excess waste from your own!
* Collect donations at your party for a local homeless shelter or other non-profit.
What are your plans for the 4th of July weekend?  I’d love to hear about them and would love to see photos of your celebrations!  Let me know in the comments below or email me at blog@keeper.com

 

Make sure to enter below to win a FREE Keeper or Moon Cup of your choice!! We will pick a new winner every month so make sure to keep coming back to enter!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and 4 year old son. She enjoys spending time in the mountains, studying about essential oils, natural remedies and herbs, as well as upcycling/ DIY projects. Olivia’s family made the move last year towards becoming a Zero Waste household. They have gotten down to one bathroom sized trashcan a month of garbage but hope to be totally Zero Waste by the end of 2015.

Like this? Check out the rest of our Waste Less and Be Green in 2015 series for more tips!

Giveaway rules: Giveaway ends July 31, 2015 at 10pm EST. Entries will be accepted until 10pm EST via the Rafflecopter widget. Winner will be notified via email and winner will be posted on our Facebook page. Winner shall choose either a Keeper or a Moon cup in either size A or size B. The winner will have one week to claim prize at which point a new winner shall be chosen.

 

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